For the last six months Tomas Butkevičius, the second year marketing student at KTU’s School of Economics and Business has been going to lectures in… Indonesia. He had won the KTU Mobility scholarship for studying at BINUS University in Jakarta. In an open letter to his fellow students Tomas encourages everyone to use the opportunity to travel for free to European or other universities and to gain invaluable experiences.
I am just a second year student, but I already had used the opportunity to travel with Erasmus+ exchange twice. “Why so early?” or “What’s the rush?” you might ask. I knew that if I kept postponing my dreams of studying abroad I might not get the same chances.
It all started when I went for summer internship in Malta. Then I took the opportunity to study on exchange in Croatia, to improve my English. After that I finally decided to leave Europe for Asia: I am now studying at KTU’s partner BINUS University in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
How did it happen? I have won KTU mobility scholarship contest, packed my bags and the next day I was already here, enjoying the local Asian cuisine. If I was scared to be here all by myself, those feelings now are non-existent. To be more precise, after spending a month in Indonesia I can confidently say that this is the best student exchange I’ve experienced so far and it might be the best one I ever will have.
I have to say, that everything here is quite impressive. Why? For example, our dorm is surrounded by three mosques. Yes, all three of them. Every morning we used to be woken up by the calls to join for the prayers. The boys and girls housing sections are separated and secured by guards, so we can only sleep in our rooms.
In the courtyard of the dorm there is a huge swimming pool, a gym, cafeteria with various food kiosks and 24 hours operating small shopping mart. Studying itself is not that hard, we have group projects and tests, just like every other university. The International Faculty in which I attend my classes is a modern clean building, and most of my lecturers are well known for their academic achievements and speak fluent English.
It comes as no surprise that this private institution is considered as one of the best universities in the city. Our Research methodology in marketing lecturer Ms. Primidya K. Miranda Soesilo has spent more than 10 years in the United States working on numerous projects and getting her PhD, Pricing management and strategy professor Ms. Yuanindita Ingardya has lived in New Zealand for more than 15 years. The International Relations Office management is also very friendly, helping and caring for all the international students.
When it comes to food, almost any traditional meal includes rice, but if you forget that for a moment, Indonesia would offer one of the biggest and diverse cuisines in the world. Most of the meals here are spicy or sweet – they even serve tomato juice with sugar! In the first few weeks we were advised to not try the street food as it would have been too much of a shock to our systems.
People here are really nice and some of the locals are very fond of our white skin. They call us Bule, which translates as white person. Several times I have stumbled upon a local trying to take my picture; then I had stopped so they could have a decent portrait.
Jakarta itself is overloaded with scooters, slums and skyscrapers. Traffic is nothing like what I have witnessed in Europe – it’s endless and constantly moving. Shopping malls in Jakarta are colossal. People always consider them as an option of spending their leisure time. Some of the malls even have parks inside.
By driving less than 50 kilometers away from the city one can encounter unbelievable views. The nature is stunningly beautiful, refreshing and full of greenery. Temples and their architecture are completely different from what you would see in Europe, so even if the city does not offer you many sights, the island itself has places of interest for anyone.
My half of the year term is ending soon, and I must say that this student exchange was an unbelievable experience. I can understand that changes might be scary for some of you, but, actually, it is worse to stay in your comfort zone and never question your capabilities. Don’t think twice, be courageous and sign up for the opportunities KTU is offering you! It is everything that you can expect and even more.
